Animal trap



Sept. 30, 1941. F, RUD LPH I 2,257,246

ANIMAL TRAP Filed March 4, 1941 Patented Sept. 30, 1941 PATENT OFFiCE ANHVIAL TRAP Faucette S. Rudolph, Yuma, Ariz.

Application March 4, 1941, Serial No. 381,737

7 Claims.

This invention relates to an animal trap and in particular to a trap which may be placed underground in a burrow hole or furrow for exterminating small animals such as rodents, moles, gophers, rats and the like.

One object of the invention is to construct a trap which is simple in operation, both in setting and in the removal of the entrapped. animal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a trap of this character which may be economically and easily produced without expensive machinery and skilled labor. V A still further object is to provide a rugged trap of this character, having few component parts which are readily adjusted to striking position and which will render a swift killing blow when the trigger mechanism is operated.

The principles of the improved animal trap, as hereinafter described, are applicable for many types of traps, although the invention is illustrated and described as a small size trap positioned within a cylindrical container for ready disposition into an animal burrow or furrow.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the trap showing the trigger and strike mechanism in elevation. v

Figure 2 is a similar section to that shown in Figure 1 after the trap has been sprung.

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken on line 33 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is an end elevation looking into the trap.

More specifically, the present improved gopher or small animal trap, comprising a cylindrical casing I, has integral turned back strengthening edges 2. The trigger and striking mechanism, as will be hereinafter described in detail, is entirely supported within and by the wall of the cylinder, and when the trap is in operative position, the mechanism hangs from the upper radius thereof.

The trap mechanism comprises a striker or hammer 3 afllxed to the end of an elongated arm 4 which is the continuation of one end of a coil spring 5; the opposite end of the spring being continued into a somewhat shorter arm 6 that is secured at one or more places to the interior inder, or the bracket l0 may be brazed or sol- (Cl. 438l) dered to the interior of the cylinder with the arm 6 brazed or soldered thereto.

A trigger arm I2 is mounted on a horizontal pivot pin I3 passing through and joining the depending arms ll of the bracket l0. To fill the space between the arms and to insure that the trigger arm 42 may pivot at the same vertical plane at all times, it is preferable to have one or more convolutions thereof encircling the pivot pin-l3 with the depending end I4 thereof offset and extending parallel to the major portion of the trigger arm. The bracket 10 supporting the spring arm 6 and pivoted ,tri ger arm I2 is mounted adjacent one end of the cylinder with the other end thereof mounted in a second bifurcated bracket" I5 secured interiorally of the cylinder wall and adjacent the coil 5. The depending arms of the second bracket l5 embrace and are suitably secured around the arm 6 as well as to the cylinder I as previously described with relation to bracket IB.

I he vertically suspended trigger release plate It suspended by hinge 'arms 21 on the ends of pivot pin and carried by the depending arms of the bracket I5 is of such a size as to prevent an animal from crawling through the trap without moving the plate and thus releasing the striker arm 4.

- As shown in Figure 4, the movable striker arm 4 is offset adjacent the coil E'in such a manner that the striker arm will not contact or bind against the upper edge of the trigger release plate l8. 7 It may be pointed out that the transversewire or rod l9 secured to the striker arm 4 H has a number'of functions including the positioning of the hammer 3 in the'lowerposition and to act as an additional striking member when the arm 4 is projected by release of the trigger mechanism as hereinafter described. The principal function of the transverse member l9, however, is for engagement with the lower depending end l4 of the trigger bar l2. As shown in Figure 1, when the trigger arm I2 and the striker arm 4 are in raised or set position, the

* 5 end I4 contacts and rests against the member l9 to hold the trigger assembly in set or ready position.

Referring again to the trigger release plate l8 and trigger rod l2, it will be observed that the trigger release plate is cut away or open at 22 between the arms 2| by which it is hung from the horizontal pivot 20. This opening or slot 22 is for the purpose of supporting the extreme end of the trigger rod [2 when it is in set position. The depending and forwardly extending open fork 24 afiixed to the inside of the cylinder acts to both guide in raising the trigger arm I2 into position for insertion and retention within the central slot 22 of plate l8 and to actas a stop to prevent the trigger release plate 18 from moving forwardly on the rod I2 as the sensitivity of the trigger release is dependent on having just the extreme end of the rod 12 bearing on the edge of the plate.

vIt is also preferable, though not essential to the successful operation of the trap, to provide one end thereof with a closure plate 25 having an air and light opening 26 therein. A set indicator or signal rod 21 is also supported in an aperture 28 formed in the end plate 25. This indicator rod is loosely pivoted by means of an eye 29 to the trigger plate l8 and extends outwardly through the plate 25, terminating in an eye 30. Thus, the trapper may see at a glance and without touching the trap whether or not it has been sprung by ananimal, for if it has, the trigger plate I8 and rod 21 willbe moved to the dotted line positions in Fig. 2. 7

-To set the trap, the operator turns theclosed end upwardly and while in this position raises the arm 4 by lifting the enlarged hammer 3. This movement contacts the trigger arm 12 with the transverse rod [9 and raises the arm and swings the plate 18 upwardly until the end of the trigger arm slipsinto the slot 22 and the plate drops over the end of the arm as shown in Fig. 1. The trap is then-placed in an animal burrow or furrow, and when the animal moves through the casing l and dislodgesf the plate l8 and rod [2, the striking arm 4, carrying cross bar l9 and end hammer 3, delivers a tremendously strong killing blow which mercifully and instantaneously executes the trapped rodent.

;What I claim is: a a

1. An animal trap comprising a housing, a coil spring having elongated parallel arms and secured by one of said arms within'to the inner wall of said housing, the other free arm of said spring normally resting against the opposite wall of said housing, a transverse cross bar secured to saidfree arm at a point within said housing,a pivotedtrigger bar mounted within said housing adjacent the said fixed spring arm, a pivoted trigger release plate suspended from the said housing adjacent the said coil spring, an opening in said pivoted release plate for the reception of one end of the said trigger bar, the other end of said bar adapted to engage the said transverse cross bar when the said free spring arm isfiexed toward the other arm of said springand the trap is in set position. g y

2. A trap as set forth in claim 1 wherein the said free elongated arm of said coil spring extends slightly beyond the edge of said housing when said arm is in release position and has a striking hammer member fastened to the end thereof. V

3. A trap as set forth in claim 1 wherein a fixed open fork member is secured to the inside of said housing and lies parallel to, but slightly spaced from, said depending pivoted trigger plate, the lower ends of the tines of said fork being bent toward said trigger plate to prevent one Way movement thereof, said fork guiding the long arm of said trigger member to engage said aperture in said trigger release plate when the said trap is set.

4. A trap as set forth in claim 1 wherein the said pivoted trigger member and the said pivoted trigger release plate are mounted on pivot pins,

said pins being held between the spaced arms of brackets attached to the interior wallotsaid housing, 'the fixedielongated arm of said-coil spring resting at the base of said brackets and being secured thereto. 1' I .3'

5. An animal trap comprising a cylindrical housing, a coil spring having elongated-parallel end portions secured by one of said end portions to the interior of said housing, a pivoted trip lever secured to the interior'of said housing adjacent the free end of the said securedcoil spring end portion, a depending platehaving an, open-; ing therein pivotally secured to the interiorof said housing, the said unsecured end extension of said spring having a cross bar afiixed thereto, one end of the said pivoted trip lever being adapted to hold said cross barwhile the other end of said trip lever is adapted tobe hungover an edge of an aperture formed in said depending plate. v r

.6. A trap as set forth in claim 1, wherein the end-of the housing adjacent the coil springjis closed by an apertured plate having a horizon tal rod extending therethrough with the inner end of the rod pivotally secured to the triggerrelease plate. a I

' 7. A trap as set forth in claim 5, wherein the end of the housing adjacent the coil spring is blocked'by an end plate having an enlarged air and light opening therein adjacent the lower part of the trap and'a smallopening above the larger 7 opening, a signal rod extending from beyond the end plate through the small opening to the trig- 'ger plate whereby the position of the tr i ger plate may be determined from outside the trap. I

. FAUCE'ITE s. RUDQLPHVK. 

